A Reno City Council meeting sparked a heated controversy over the fate of the former Community Assistance Center (CAC), as accusations of misinformation and questionable decision-making have led to demands for investigations from city and county officials.
During the meeting, Councilmember Jenny Brekhus revealed an email from a Washoe County employee to County Commissioner Mike Clark, which claimed that the City of Reno was not interested in a county proposal to rehabilitate the former CAC building to provide housing and services for the homeless population. The email stated, “The City of Reno is not interested in selling the building to the county to house people experiencing homelessness.”
Brekhus expressed concern, noting that Mayor Hillary Schieve had confirmed that “no one in the county spoke to anyone up here,” suggesting that high-level decisions were made without proper communication. Brekhus called for an investigation and proposed a 90-day delay before any vote to sell the building to an affordable housing developer.
However, the council denied her request.
The CAC, originally designed to house up to 175 people and provide wrap-around services for the homeless population, was closed in 2020 due to social distancing requirements during the pandemic. Since then, the building has fallen into disrepair, with a recent appraisal valuing the once $20 million facility at approximately $3.4 million due to damage and deterioration.
This spring, the City of Reno opened a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to determine the future of the building. Out of four proposals submitted, three were deemed viable, with the council ultimately approving a motion to enter into exclusive negotiations with Ulysses Development Group, a Denver-based affordable housing developer.
Clark has also called for an investigation, questioning the integrity of the information he received. In a statement, Clark demanded answers: “I would like to know if it is against policy for one county employee to direct another county employee to give disinformation to an elected official… Are there any consequences for intentionally sharing disinformation?”
The situation escalated when Clark forwarded an email exchange with Brown to the media and his attorney. In his email, Brown defended county staff, stating that the decision not to pursue the CAC for additional shelter operations is due to Reno zoning restrictions and resource limitations. Brown also criticized Clark’s accusations as “sensationalized, baseless rhetoric,” stating that county staff had not lied about the CAC, pointing to public discussions and articles.
The dispute between Clark and Brown has further complicated the already tense relationship between city and county officials. As both sides continue to exchange accusations, the controversy over the city’s approach to addressing homelessness and affordable housing remains unresolved, with potential legal and political ramifications on the horizon.
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